Chapter 37 - Abdication (TCOK)
As he approached the Throne Room, the sound of raised voices carried down the Entrance Hall. Sadly, he recognized both of the voices and realized immediately who the two that were arguing were. A wizened, hoarse voice was attempting to calm down a younger, more angry voice. Clubbar and Chubba were at odds, not for the first time, and if they continued at this rate, clearly not the last. Although Tubba did not like to eavesdrop, they weren't exactly whispering. As he drew nearer to the Throne Room, the details of the conversation could be heard loud and clear. "I don't like this job, Clubbar!" Chubba bellowed, followed by the sound of metal on wood. He had clearly hit his club against something, probably the wooden plaque above the throne that listed the names of all the former Clubba Kings. "How are you supposed to enjoy Kingship when you don't make money?" "Sire, creating money causes inflation. Our currency is bad enough as it is!" Clubbar's throaty voice combated, irritation lacing his tone. More metal on wood. Chubba clearly was distressed. "Your Chubbiness! That is not how a grown Clubba acts!" Tubba was now right up against the door, but he hesitated before going on. This clearly was an interesting discussion, and hallway conversations were never private. This wasn't eavesdropping, right? Convincing himself that it wasn't, Tubba pressed the side of his head where his left internal ear was located against the cold metal door of the Throne Room and began to listen. Chubba was stamping a foot against the stone floor, as indicated by the painful sound of flesh on stone. Feeling his healed injuries from crashing into the stone wall at the base of Zaz Castle unconsciously, Tubba attempted to determine what was the cause of the dispute from the clues he was getting. "I like creating money. I like making money. I like getting money. You're telling me that I can't spend all the money in the treasury on myself?" "Precisely. Sire, there's a tiny little clause in taking this job. You actually have to ''care ''about the people in your Kingdom!" Clubbar explained, a hint of contempt in his voice. "Pfff, why didn't anyone tell me that before my coronation? I thought being King was all about just ordering people around and making them do your beck and call! If anyone's up to "caring" about people, enlist Tubba!" Chubba thundered back at his Commander of the Armies. Expecting a witty response from Clubbar, Tubba was surprised when that didn't happen. When Clubbar did speak, his voice was thoughtful and pondering. "You know, that's actually not such a bad idea. Tubba is doing nothing except what he wants; which is what you so dearly crave..." Instant foreboding lanced through Tubba. In that instant, he knew that if was to take on Kingship, he would not like the job. Not for the reasons Chubba hated the job, but for the lack of contentment it would bring him. Spending his life embroiled in politics and the concerns of rising currencies? That wasn't what Tubba liked. He liked being at the frontlines, the thrill of battle, the roar of victory with your best friend when you won a meaningful battle. While a King would have to lead his army into war every now and again, it was not nearly as much as one would think. "If Tubba takes Kingship, will that mean I'll get to do whatever I want with the treasury?" Chubba asked greedily; Tubba could almost imagine him licking his lips. The shaking of hair told Tubba Clubbar shook his head. "No. I'm sorry Chubba, but if you want to give up Kingship, you will be given a sum to work with monthly, as all the related members of the royal family are, including Tubba. You will be able to live in splendor, but you won't be able to do whatever you want." "But I can prove to you I'm worth a lot more than that! I'm worth the entire treasury! I won a war singlehandedly, what more do you want?" Tubba smirked as Chubba completely ignored Tubba's involvement in the battle against Hareth. "Prove it." Clubbar said, a challenge in his voice. "Prove to me you can be the richest man, Clubba, Koopa, Kremling, Iglator in the world. Prove to me you're worth the entire treasury." "That's what I will do!" Chubba snarled back at Clubbar. "You'll regret this when I'm the richest thing in the world!" The sound of feet thumping against stone was Tubba's indication to enter the Throne Room before Chubba left. When Chubba left, Clubbar would undoubtedly turn to him to take up the mantle of Kingship. He needed to stop that belief. Pushing aside the door just before Chubba reached it, he entered the room in less of a state of devastation than he thought. While the plaque with the prior King's names adorned in gold letters was smashed in the corner, nearly everything else was intact. Chubba's face was flustered, and his eyes angry, but Clubbar had a face that plainly said "no regrets." "How much did you hear, Tubba?" Clubbar questioned, while Chubba stopped in his tracks, staring at his twin. Not wanting to let Clubbar on that he had heard basically the whole conversation, he vaguely said "Enough." When no one wanted to speak next, for Chubba was glaring at both Clubbar and Tubba, and Clubbar was clearly waiting for Tubba to elaborate, Tubba did just that. "Enough to tell you that I don't want to be King." Chubba instantly wheeled on Clubbar with a look of triumph on his face. "See! Even Tubba doesn't want to be a King with you as his Advisor!" "That's not why I'm passing over Kingship." Tubba said hastily as Clubbar opened his mouth to retort. "I don't think I'll enjoy it. But, as you said," he gestured to Clubbar, "I'm not the only member of the royal family living off the fund. There's got to be another person in line? Assuming Chubba doesn't want to abdicate, that is." "There's one." Clubbar sighed. "Second-in-line, after you, Tubba." "Well, who is he?" Tubba pressed, while Chubba stood astride, continuing to glare at them. Clubbar sighed again. "Is there really no other way? He's younger than you two by two years. It's your second cousin, Mycerinus." "Mycerinus?" Both Tubba and Chubba chorused in unison. "I've never heard of him." Tubba added. "That's because no one has heard from him for years, since Tubba Sr. sent him to live with the White Clubbas in Ice Land, when his maternal grandfather(Tubba Sr.'s uncle) died." Clubbar explained, "Mycerinus has been very unfortunate. His father was an Ice Clubba who died before he was born, his mother died shortly after giving birth to him. So he was thrust into the care of his grandfather. When he died, Tubba Sr. decided to send Mycerinus to be among the Ice Clubbas." Chubba snorted. "Well, no one's heard from him for years! Great, do we even have anyone next in line. I'd be King, but I'd much rather be rolling in the truckloads of money." "Don't count Mycerinus out yet," Clubbar cautioned. "I think if we were to travel to Ice Land, we'd be able to find him." "Then that's where we're going!" Tubba slammed the wooden end of his club onto the stone floor. "We're finding Mycerinus and bringing him back to be King."